Ch.236Magnificent (1)

Arwen’s presence in my quarters, and why she was reading my manuscript, can be explained like this.

Last time, as Arwen mentioned and as I conveyed to her through a letter, we had agreed to meet when time permitted.

But I was busy with my own matters, and Arwen had a mountain of state affairs to deal with, so no further explanation was needed.

The workload was so immense that even some elves, who normally could go days without sleep, were collapsing from overwork.

Arwen’s political philosophy was awkward for the change-averse elves, and furthermore, the Senate, which had been Alfheim’s symbol, had disappeared into history.

Moreover, as I’ve mentioned before, Arwen became much busier due to Phiren Gerrit Stormwalker’s desperate actions. Somehow, she had become the second most important connection to Xenon after the publishing company president.

Though every day was a continuous stream of arduous work, Arwen was still human. She needed personal time and rest.

So after processing a pile of documents that had accumulated over several days, she came to the academy to meet me as promised.

However, since her face had become somewhat known through her speeches, she couldn’t enter openly, so she teleported to the coordinates of my quarters, which she had learned through Cyris Lunatic.

She decided it would be better to wait since it would be awkward to wander around outside, and she didn’t know where I was.

While teleporting was fine, it seems she was tempted by the manuscript of Biography of Xenon volume 18 lying on my desk.

How many people could resist when the next volume was right in front of them? She tried to be patient at first but eventually succumbed to temptation.

Honestly, I would want to secretly read the manuscript too. When it’s about the next volume that you can’t buy even with money, wouldn’t you think, “What if I just take a peek?”

The problem was that Arwen got too absorbed. Normally, she would have sensed my presence and immediately put the manuscript back on the desk, but she didn’t even have the chance.

Already needing to be careful due to Rain’s manuscript theft incident, she was caught at precisely the wrong moment.

“At least it’s fortunate. Unlike someone, she didn’t steal it.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Cecilly Drat Isillia Vin seemed displeased with Arwen’s behavior and reproached her with a sarcastic tone. Arwen, aware of her own transgression, apologized and bowed her head.

Cecilly’s red eyes, looking at Arwen, were filled with deep suspicion and hostility. Even if the manuscript theft was Rain’s independent action, Arwen bore significant responsibility.

Moreover, Cecilly was a demon. For demons, Biography of Xenon was both a divine blessing and a book equivalent to scripture.

Rain had stolen the manuscript of this Biography of Xenon, and now Arwen had sneaked in and was reading the manuscript, so Cecilly couldn’t help but be displeased.

For me, knowing Arwen wasn’t that kind of person, I could overlook it. She hadn’t stolen the manuscript; she had just read it.

Instead, I wondered why she had to teleport specifically to my dormitory. She could have sent a message through Cyris Lunatic in advance, but she seemed a bit too hasty.

“Raise your head, Arwen. You don’t need to be so sorry. I understand.”

“Y-you…”

As I gently comforted her, Arwen slowly raised her head. Her silver-gray eyes, sparkling like the Milky Way, were filled with emotion.

Now that I was more than a head taller than her, she was looking up at me from below.

She already had a youthful appearance despite her age, and with her eyes moistened, I felt sorry. Looking up with that appearance was a bit unfair.

I barely suppressed the urge to pat Arwen’s head and started addressing my questions.

“I understand why you came to my dormitory. But couldn’t you have sent word through Cyris Lunatic first?”

“That’s true, but wouldn’t that reduce the time I could spend with you?”

“Hmm?”

At that answer, Cecilly, who had her arms crossed, raised an eyebrow and made a humming sound. Both her expression and reaction seemed to say, “See what I mean?”

Honestly, it was a statement full of potential misunderstanding. Anyone hearing it might think Arwen had feelings for me.

However, considering Arwen’s situation, sadly, she doesn’t have anyone she could call a friend.

When she was in Alfheim, she couldn’t trust anyone because of the Senate, and now, due to her arduous duties, she doesn’t even have the opportunity to build friendships.

Although she is friendly with some elves, her position as Queen makes it difficult for others to get close to her.

In other words, I’m practically the only one she can be casual with, setting aside her position as the Elf Queen. Even Rain, her former guardian, was living cautiously under probation.

I understood Arwen’s words through appropriate filtering and nodded.

“Then it can’t be helped. But…”

I trailed off, examining Arwen’s appearance below her face. Due to our height difference, I could only see her face, but as I lowered my gaze, I noticed her rather bold outfit.

Arwen usually wears a silver-gray dress that matches her hair color. It’s typically a clingy material, like a knit dress.

She was wearing a similar style of dress now, but the issue was the sides. They were so open that “completely exposed” would be an apt description.

Arwen already boasted superior hip lines, and wearing a dress that emphasized them only drew more attention there.

I wasn’t sure if she was cleverly utilizing her strengths or if she had truly worn it without any thought.

Given Arwen’s personality, it was likely the latter. She probably just wore what was given to her.

“You? What are you looking at?”

Sensing my gaze, Arwen tilted her head and questioned me. Judging by her expression, she truly didn’t realize what kind of outfit she was wearing.

If this was all an act, she must be incredibly cunning. I responded with a slightly awkward tone.

“Aren’t… aren’t you cold?”

“Ah, this dress? It’s a gift I received from a noble family. Does it suit me well?”

Is she really unaware? Arwen placed her hands on her exposed sides and slid them down to her hips.

That action alone was enough to stimulate a man’s desires, forcing me to close my eyes tightly.

Normally, hips are noticeable when standing still, but Arwen also has a slim waist. To top it off, her tight knit dress clearly accentuated her curves.

Above all, while her hips are her strongest feature, other areas are also above average. Her height might be a bit short, but her proportions are so excellent that it’s not an issue when seen from a distance.

‘I don’t know who gave her this gift, but…’

I sincerely wanted to compliment them. It was a dress that multiplied her strengths, truly tailored for Arwen.

Design-wise, it also suited her position as Queen and evoked the nobility unique to elves.

I wanted to stare, but it could lead to an awkward situation, and Cecilly was watching right beside me.

While she might not mind if more women gathered around me, if this news reached Marie Housen Reckyless or Nicole Ducar Mayshall, it would be beyond disastrous.

So, after silently praying to Luminus, I opened my eyes and looked at Arwen.

Arwen, seemingly unaware of what she had done, was looking up at me with innocent silver-gray eyes.

Truly, just looking at her face, she was the embodiment of purity, with the nobility unique to elves, like an angel descended from heaven.

“Y-you look great. Clothes make the person, and you truly look like an angel.”

“T-that’s just like you to say.”

Arwen blushed and became shy at my sincere compliment. Yet, she subtly touched her sides, suggesting she was genuinely cold.

Meanwhile, there was one person who wasn’t pleased with this situation: Cecilly, who was wearing a sullen expression for some reason.

With her arms crossed, watching our conversation, she spoke in a sharp tone.

“So, what are you planning to do now?”

“Huh?”

Only then did the shy Arwen turn to Cecilly. The red eyes filled with discontent met the pure silver-gray eyes.

Additionally, perhaps due to the height difference, Arwen’s gaze kept moving down and then up again. The same was true for Cecilly.

At a glance, it might seem like they were exploring each other, but I thought differently. They were probably scanning each other’s bodies, just as I had done earlier.

They each possessed magnificent advantages: breasts and hips. Moreover, these weren’t just their best features; their other attributes were also well above average.

While I was having these rather lustful thoughts, Cecilly spoke to Arwen with evident displeasure.

“Just so you know, Issac Dukar Mayshall and I were in the middle of enjoying a rare date. It’s very inconvenient for Your Majesty to intrude.”

Though she spoke with respect, Cecilly’s words carried weight. Why intrude when we were enjoying a sweet date?

Moreover, Arwen had entered my quarters and peeked at the manuscript, so Cecilly couldn’t view her favorably.

“I… I’m truly sorry. I just wanted a break…”

Arwen, aware of this, bowed her head and apologized sincerely. Seeing her drooping shoulders made me feel sorry for her.

She had been carrying the heavy responsibility of being a Queen and had finally gotten a moment of freedom. But even that break had become a disturbance to others.

After pondering for a while, she slowly raised her head and faced Cecilly directly. Cecilly’s expression remained unchanged.

“…Would it be possible?”

“Pardon?”

“I’m truly sorry, and it might sound shameless… but even for just 10 minutes, just 10 minutes, I want to talk with Issac Dukar Mayshall.”

Arwen pleaded with sparkling eyes, her hands clasped together. Given her appearance, even Cecilly couldn’t help but hesitate.

Who wouldn’t be moved when a cute girl pleads with her hands clasped? Especially when she’s not an ordinary human but an elf.

Taking advantage of Cecilly’s hesitation, Arwen pleaded once more with a heartfelt voice.

“I know what kind of relationship you have with Issac Dukar Mayshall. But I want to ask this favor. I’ll grant whatever you wish if you can give me just 10 minutes of time.”

“…”

Even though Arwen had committed a breach of etiquette, such a humble approach made Cecilly uncomfortable. Arwen wasn’t just any noble; she was the Queen of Alfheim.

While Cecilly was a princess of Helium, there was a clear difference in their positions. Such a humble approach from Arwen put Cecilly in a somewhat awkward position.

Crucially, Arwen was sincerely appealing. How challenging must her state affairs be for her to approach with such humility for just 10 minutes with me?

‘…Does she really need to go this far?’

I suddenly became curious about how Arwen viewed me. She might value me especially because she doesn’t have many friends, but I felt there might be something more.

While I was puzzled, Cecilly seemed to have grasped the nature of that “something,” as she pressed her lips together and gazed intently at Arwen.

As a strange silence descended between them without any words being exchanged, Cecilly let out a deep sigh and quietly spoke.

“Sigh… Alright. Issac Dukar Mayshall is the guilty one here…”

“T-thank you! Thank you so much!”

While Arwen was rejoicing, I wondered why I was being treated as the guilty one. Did they communicate telepathically?

I tilted my head, increasingly confused by the situation. Cecilly looked at me with a complex gaze before turning to Arwen.

She then spoke in a firm voice to Arwen, who was jumping with joy like a child.

“But! There’s a condition.”

“What is it? I’ll agree to anything.”

Arwen, with a happy smile like a child who got what she wanted, agreed to the request.

In response, Cecilly raised the corners of her mouth and made a proposal that would make Arwen hesitate.

“The conversation will take place here, in the dormitory. And I will be present.”

“…What? That’s not a private conversation.”

“After disrupting our date, I should get something too, right? You can’t expect to get away with it so easily.”

“Ugh…”

Arwen wore a disappointed expression at Cecilly’s firm point.

Well, it wasn’t the worst outcome, so she was probably somewhat satisfied.

‘But what does she mean by “getting away with it”?’

I wondered what secret conversation the two had shared.

*****

30 minutes later.

“I think demons might be superior. No matter how deep elves are, they can’t match demons in terms of diversity.”

“Ha. How foolish. Diversity is just another way of saying ‘jack of all trades, master of none.’ We elves are the epitome of being multi-talented.”

“Are you done talking?”

“Aren’t you done as well?”

I found myself witnessing a battle between the world’s strongest beings.

In many ways.